Teenagers studying in Sandwell are nearly four times less likely to get top A-level grades than those in the rest of the country.

Official data released this week shows that of 724 youngsters in the borough entered for a least one A-level in state-funded schools and colleges 2015-16, only 2.8% - roughly one in 36 - got three A grades or better.

The average for the state-funded sector in England was 10.5% - meaning a child elsewhere in the country is 3.8 times more likely to achieve top grades.

Three As is considered the absolute minimum requirement for top universities like Cambridge and Oxford.

The figures, published by the Department for Education, cover all 16-18 year olds who received state-funded education in schools colleges or other establishments.